Underlying Currents
by May's a loser
Summary: This was the year that Jack did something with his life and made his father's dream a reality. It was a time of beginnings, endings, friendships, and conflicts. This was the year that Jack would never forget.
1. His Name Is

This is just something I'll be working on for the next couple of months. I'd really appreciate some constructive criticism. I'm trying to improve on writing lengthier chapters and working on detail and description. If anyone has any tips, I'd love to hear them. I'm not going to give away much at all, but it is based on a Harvest Moon game. None of the characters are mine and I do not own Harvest Moon. Marvelous has rights on the pretty farming game. Now here's the first chapter! 

**Chapter 1: His Name Is…**

He woke up and rolled out of bed quietly, so he wouldn't wake the one next to him. He carefully slipped on his jeans and threw on his shirt. He left the top two buttons unbuttoned and clothed his feet with plain, white socks. He forced his feet into his shoes and left the house, closing the door slowly to not wake anyone.

The spring sun was not shining in the sky yet. It was barely dawn as the man got out a light hoe. The dew painted water on his shoes as he walked towards the fields with the hoe leaning on his shoulder. A small smile worked onto his face as he thought, 'Better to get an early start on these things, I suppose.'

The hoe plunged into the earth, bringing up fresh nutrients. The man worked the ground forcefully with the hoe. He was swinging it up in the air and then crashing to smash the stubborn clumps of dirt, while gently pushing around the soft dirt. Even though it was slightly chilly, he still worked up a sweat. He paused and brushed away the few, salty beads that clung to his brow.

An unfamiliar sound of different dirt shifting caught his attention. He placed the head of the hoe onto the ground and leaned an elbow on the end. A person was walking on the dirt trail. He squinted slightly, due to the lack of light, and noticed that he had never seen this person before. The figure looked like a man, but he was not so sure. He didn't want to say a word to the stranger, so he went back to his work.

By the time he was finished with the fields the sun was slowly coming up over the mountain, casting some awkward rays. He groaned as he felt his stomach rumble. Placing the hoe back in its place, he returned to his house and sat down to grab a bite to eat with his family before going to the fields again to work.

Soon enough, they all come out to work in the fields. This time though, the man was spreading spring seeds around. They focused on plants, like his grandfather did. Each season they go through the same process: sowing, watering, harvesting. He did not particularly like his job as a farmer, but he did not have any other options when it came to jobs.

He was a fast learner and was very focused on what he had to do. Maybe even a little too focused for he did not notice when two men walk up to the fence.

"He's the new guy in town." A girl bent down and lightly pulled on his sleeve. "I think we should introduce ourselves." She rose and he quickly did the same.

He looked at the two men. He knew one of them, he'd seen him at the bar sometimes. The other one looked like the figure he had seen a few hours ago. Indeed he was a man, or better put, a city-boy. He had soft features and chocolate hair with eyes to match. He couldn't have been older than twenty-eight and he was not exactly a strong fellow, he did not seem to have much in the muscle department.

He heard the older man introduce them to him and explain that they were farmers. The older man pointed to the city-boy and said, "His name is Jack."


	2. Her Name Is

**Chapter 2: Her Name Is…**

"So whad 'ya think of that Jack?" The older woman asked after devouring her meal from across the table.

"I hope he becomes one of our best customers. He will have to buy some seeds sometime, no?" The younger woman asked softly with a fork in her hand preparing to dig into the steamed carrots that lay upon her plate.

"But I'm afraid he will become our greatest rival. Maybe you can go over to his farm and act all sweet and nice, and then sabotage his plants!" She laughed thunderously, the man joining her with a much softer laugh. They both knew she hadn't the capacity to do such an evil to anyone.

When her laughing died down, she asked, "Do you think he is attractive?" The man shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

The younger woman stopped eating to cough nervously. "What do you mean?"

"What else do you think I mean? Do you think he is handsome?"

"Um…I guess so." She looked away from those ferocious green eyes that bored into her.

"'I guess so?' You are at an age when women are already settling down. You have not seemed to take an interest in anyone here so far. I'm worried about you, child." She sighed and collected the plates and utensils. She dumped them into the sink across the room. She shuffled her large feet to stand before the younger woman who was still sitting down. "Just try and get to know him. He seems like a really nice guy."

The man didn't approve of any of this. The last time they had a young, male customer…

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It was early afternoon as the younger woman watered the plants lovingly. The sun beat on her back as she carefully petted the leaves of a plant. She heard someone up behind her rather slowly, a customer, perhaps.

"Hey, Celia!"


	3. Tomato

The last chapter was too short so I decided to throw the next chapter in for this update. The italicized text is from the translated version of Harvest Moon Sprite Station (Or Harvest Moon DS in English). I do not own it. 

**Chapter 3: Tomato**

"You call this a 'tomato'?" The man snarled at Celia. This man was from town and he was a regular customer that actually came from town just to get the fresh produce. Celia and him would have conversations. His reasons for coming changed after a while, but he still came by to pick up some produce occasionally.

"What's wrong with it?" Celia asked, frightened. She had thought that this man and her were friends and could not have foreseen an argument over a tomato.

"Are you blind!? You can't see how terrible it is!?" He stood up straight to tower over the woman to look more threatening. His face was contorted, adding to his menacing height.

"N-no, sir. Please tell me what's wrong with it and maybe I can give you a refund." Her voice quivered in fear as she backed up against the building that housed the shipments.

He held out the tomato closer to Celia and his hand squeezed the tomato. The juice flew all across her apron and a little bit on her face. "I guess you can't refund this." He growled, his voice dangerously low.

She stood silently still as he backed away from her and left the farm. She sighed; she had lost a good customer and somewhat of a friend. She walked calmly into Vesta's house to wash off. Unfortunately she was not alone for long.

The door opened slowly and she gasped. She certainly didn't want anyone to find out that they had lost a customer and some money! She spun around from facing the sink to spot his curly, jet hair and intense blue eyes. 'He won't know…I washed all the tomato juice off…' She hoped, optimistically.

But he had the eyes of a hawk and spotted the red drops that were splattered upon her face and hair. "Celia, what's with the tomato juice?" He asked casually. "It's not like you to be clumsy when it comes to plants. What happened?"

"I…I just had a run-in with a customer. He accidentally dropped a tomato." She simply lied.

"If he had 'accidentally' dropped it, the juice would have gone on your shoes, not your face. What really happened, Celia?"

"Just a silly argument, that's all."

"Don't do this, Celia. Tell me what happened already!" His patience was growing thin as he continued prying.

"A customer argued that a tomato he bought was terrible, and I asked him what was wrong with it, but he squeezed the tomato in my face and left."

He felt the seething anger boil up inside of him. It seemed as if each beat of his heart his anger grew through his veins. 'How dare he do that!' He thought as he rushed out of the house. He heard Celia running after him.

"_Marlin, calm down!_" She shouted.

He stopped and turned to face her. "_That customer quibbled over crops you sold him! I'm going into town to complain!!_" His voice was harsh, but he was not directing his anger towards her.

"_Please don't._" She pleaded softly. "_It would be horrible if the shop's reputation suffered._"

'Why doesn't she stand up for herself! Why must she be stepped on?' He thought, his rage pulsing. "_No! I won't allow that!_" He shouted as if he verbally answered his own question.

"_I'm not worried about it at all. So please, Marlin, calm down._" She pleaded once more in hopes to ease his anger.

It seemed like calling out his name finally calmed him down. He still thought it over until he answered, _"………Okay…_"

"_But thank you, Marlin, for getting angry for me._"

He wasn't particularly glad for that remark, but he answered, "_………That's okay._" A small smile crept across his face as he asked, "_Shall we go?_"

"_Sure._" She grinned cutely. They walked back from the mountain path into the house.

He stopped once more right before they got to the house. "…Celia." He murmured softly as he dug his hands into his pockets.

"Yes?" She asked as she stopped as well and looked at him.

"I…I'm sorry he hurt you." He was referring to her mental pain. He knew that she appreciated that customer's company and was grieved that someone had let her down.

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Later that night as he lay in his bed awake he murmured, "_If I don't watch after Celia, guys will give her trouble._"

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Even though that was a year ago, he had developed biased thoughts on young male customers and still kept them. Now he had to keep an eye on Celia, lest that Jack throw fits and tomatoes at her like that one customer did. And if he laid a hand against her, he would rip him to shreds for hurting Celia, his "sister." He knew she needed him to look out for her, she had thanked him the last time he did. He just wished that she would one day find the strength to stand up for herself.


	4. He Seems

**Chapter 4: He Seems**

Jack rolled out of bed, his eyes barely open. "Ugh, what time is it?" He looked at his window and didn't see any sunlight. "Well, now that I'm up, I better get working."

He put all his clothes on including his red bandana he tied to his neck and his black and red gloves that he dressed his hands with.

The cold air hit his exposed skin. A chill ran down his spine as he shivered at the contact of the temperature. He ran his gloved hands over his arms and walked slowly towards the barn. Inside, the stench of the cow reached his nose and he almost walked right back out. However, he managed to endure the terrible smell and pet the cow on the head.

"I see you're wide awake this morning." He cooed as he ran his hands along her blotchy-blackened skin. She mooed softly under his touch. "Wait here, I'll go get the bucket." He assured her and got the bucket as he promised.

He had never milked a cow before, but he had the general idea of how to do it. He bent down and placed the small wooden bucket underneath the cow and lightly grasped an utter in his hand. The first time, the milk missed the bucket entirely, but Jack was able to aim it into the bucket the next time. Confident, Jack took another utter in his other hand and was effectively milking the cow.

"Good girl." He whispered while moving the bucket away. He grabbed a piece of fodder and put it into her bin. "I'm going to try and get that pasture fertilized so you can eat out there."

He wrapped his fingers around the handles of the bucket of milk and lifted it up and out of the barn. Takakura seemed to come out of nowhere and asked Jack, "Do you want me to help you with that?"

Jack nodded and Takakura took the bucket and carried it into the storage room with little difficulty. There he poured the milk into separate bottles, but Jack did not watch him. He had already gone into the forest to forage.

He hadn't seen the forest yet. He marveled at the strange flowers that stood almost a foot above him. The small spring shimmered even in the darkness. Flowers surrounded the spring and the sound of the waterfall sounded in his ears. He picked the flowers quickly and placed them into his rucksack. He also noticed the large tree that sat near the spring. Something was strange about this tree. It had a small door in it! Suddenly, his stomach grumbled for he hadn't eaten anything since the day before. Taking a mushroom that was in front of the tree, he stuffed it into his mouth. All at once he felt a wave of nausea and he was almost certain he would pass out. Course, he was a city-boy and did not know that some mushrooms were poisoness.

Sure enough he had passed out. He woke up seeing all kinds of colors before him. There were more mushrooms, pots, and more importantly, those strange creatures he had encountered earlier. Nik, Nak, and Flak were before him, staring at him wide-eyed.

"Hey the sprite named Jack!" They called in unison. They flocked around him, tugging his sleeves and pant legs.

"Is this where you guys live?" He asked as he leaned up. He watched them nod in, again, unison. "Well, I have to get going. Farm work is hard stuff."

"Just remember that all the townsfolk are unique and try to be friendly with them!" Nak said, finally all by himself.

"So could you guys tell me how to get out?" He asked. They pointed straight at him. He understood and turned around. There was that door again, but this time it was big enough so Jack could exit. He didn't even bother to question and walked out of the tree.

As soon as he got out, he turned around to look at the door. It was so tiny again! "Strange…" He muttered to himself. Then the sun was slowly coming up and the darkness was fading away. He strolled out of the forest and spotted the fiery haired woman walking about. He ran to catch up with her.

"Good morning, Nami." He wheezed.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, morning." She continued walking on, leaving Jack behind.

He sighed and continued walking around town. He foraged and chatted with a couple of people like Chris, Wally, and Hugh before an idea struck him. He needed to have his pasture fertilized, and he knew just the people who had fertilizer.

Without a second thought, he skipped off across the bridge and wandered into their fields. Celia was tending to the plants when he came up.

"Hey, Celia!" He said, wishing he didn't scare her with that bubbly greeting.

"Hello, Jack." She stood up and faced him. She then asked, "Can I help you?"

"Yeah, do you have any fertilizer? I could really use ten bags of it."

"Yes, that would come out to 500 G. Is that okay with you?" She inquired.

"That's fine." He answered. It would be a chunk out of his original 3,000 G, but it was important that he would make his main money producer, his cow, happy.

"Okay, wait here." She went inside a greenhouse and after a while came out with the bags of fertilizer he asked for. She struggled slightly when trying to hand him a couple of the bags.

"No, no. I'll take care of it. I don't want you to pull something." Jack said as he grabbed the bags she was carrying. Bag by bag he put them in his rucksack. When he was finished he looked at Celia one last time and said, "Thank you for that. My cow is very thankful too."

She giggled softly. "No problem. It is my job, after all. If you need anything else, just ask me."

"All right. Thank you, Celia. I will probably ask a ton of questions seeing as I never grew any plants before, so hopefully you won't grow tired of me showing up not knowing what to do." He laughed quietly. "I'll see you!" He waved as he walked away.

'He does seem nice…' She thought as she waved him off.


	5. New Year!

**Chapter 5: New Year!**

"Ugh…" the terrible smell of manure reeked terribly when Jack poured it out on the pasture. He carefully stepped around the fertilizer to climb over the old wooden fence.

He entered the barn once more to milk the cow. This time he was able to collect much more milk than he did that morning. He carried the bucket to the building again. Takakura told him that he would be getting more individual bottles to store the milk and labels for the different ranks of quality of milk. For now, it was just the bucket and he. This bucket had to sit in the fridge until the next morning when Takakura went to town.

Strangely enough, Jack finished all the farm work he had to do that day. It wasn't as hard as he had thought it would be! 'Maybe now I can relax and talk a bit more with some people.' He thought to himself as he walked out onto the stony pathway that stretched through the small village.

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"Vesta, I'm going to head to the festival now. Are you going to come along?" Celia asked Vesta who was standing near the old scarecrow. They had finished watering the crops for the second time, applying fertilizer here and there.

With her right arm, Vesta wiped the sweat off her brow and wiped her hands on the bottom of her apron, leaving a faint dark brown trail. "No, I have to be going to town right about now. Sorry, dear."

Though disappointed, she turned her gaze to the man leaning on the fence, hands tucked tightly in his faded jeans. "What about you, Marlin?" She asked a little louder than usual to gain his attention.

He slowly set his weight on his feet while his back inched away from the fence. He raised his head just enough to look at Celia. With an almost melancholy tone in his voice, he responded, "I'll be staying behind. I'll cook dinner while you two are out, so don't eat too much at the party, Celia."

Celia sighed; every year it was the same answer. For as long as she was living with them, Marlin has made up silly excuses to not go to the New Year's Festival. It was a shame though, for this year Celia had to go all by herself.

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Jack knocked on the mansion's large doors. The shocking blonde opened the door, much to Jack's surprise.

"Why are you here, Rock?" He asked, with a classic dumb look that was enough to garner a chuckle out of Rock.

"Don't you know what today is?" Rock puzzled.

Jack shook his head in response. He was too wrapped up in his farming to pay attention to things like that!

"It's New Year's! Every year we celebrate it here in this mansion. And by 'we' I mean," He opened the door widely to reveal the several partying guests inside. "Come on in, Lumina's about to play a piece on the piano."

Lumina was that young girl with light brown hair and clear amber eyes. She wore simple blue jeans and a white shirt with a yellow sweater loosely tied around her neck. Pink shoes surrounded her small feet and her yellow headband really accentuated the color of her eyes and hair. She was quite the proper young lady in Jack's opinion.

Jack strolled into the mansions to be immediately greeted by Romana, Lumina's grandmother and the owner of the mansion. Soon all eyes were on Lumina who seated herself on the little black armless chair and scooted closer to the piano. Her fingers began to dance over the keys gracefully in such a fluid motion that captivated Jack greatly, as well as the other people who gathered around the piano. The notes flew into his ears, the soothing melody played in his head. Jack liked a couple of things in life and music was one of them. Before he knew it, he found himself clapping when she was finished.

He dodged the crowd and drew nearer to Lumina. 'She's so young, yet so talented!' A little voice squeaked in his mind. She was then standing near a vase of golden flowers with a glass of water in hand. Amazingly she stood alone, sipping her drink quietly. When Jack came into talking distance, a swarm of people flooded around her almost simultaneously. He sighed, cursing his bad luck. He retreated to the fine couch on the other side of the room and hung his head in his hands.

"Hello, Jack." A soft feminine voice interrupted his little pity party.

He looked to the caller and caught the friendly gaze of gray eyes. The two thick strands of chestnut hair framed her face perfectly as she stared at the man. She sat, hands in her lap and legs uncrossed still in a fine lady-like manner. Her dress and apron were a tiny bit messier than when he saw her a few hours ago. Though he figured that he probably looked worse too. He caught his voice and asked, "You're here partying too?"

She nodded, taking in Jack's appearance. His brown hair was in disarray and dirt blotches were scattered across his face and clothes. His pale city skin was also covered in a light layer of sweat. He had a light build, he was stringy and not very tall, nothing like his father was. Yet his eyes were warm and welcoming and she felt at ease in his presence.

He placed his hands at the back of his hands and leaned further into the back of the couch. "Well," he started, "This is a mere gathering compared to what I went to in the city. There, parties are huge and all different colored lights are everywhere. Oh, and music is so loud that you can feel it in the soles of your feet!"

"Which do you prefer then: a party or a gathering? It sounds like a party is much more exciting than something like this." She asked, truly fascinated. She had never been to the city and the stories people told her was as close as she could get.

"That's easy. I prefer a gathering. It's much more peaceful and quiet. As much as the city is great, it's too loud and there are too many people. Besides, now I can actually get to know some people. Maybe even get to know you, that is, if you let me."

The two smiled at each other and wished to continue the conversation, but a strange noise sounded throughout the room. Romana stood, hitting her cup with a fork. "Settle down, everyone. Now let's make a toast to the New Year!" The guests raised their cups to this command. "May it be better than last year!" She drank what was in her cup and others followed after laughing to Romana's statement.

This was the year that Jack did something with his life and made his father's dream a reality. It was a time of beginnings, endings, friendships, and conflicts. This was the year that Jack would never forget.


	6. Bitter Dinner

Thank you for all the reviews! Sorry, I should have updated this sooner, but I wanted to have chapter seven completed. Look for the next chapter this week! 

**Chapter Six: Bitter Dinner**

The steam rose continuously up to his face. It was his turn to cook tonight. Marlin slaved over the stove, adding some spice here and there. Lifting the spoon up to his mouth, he took a small sip to test the taste. He was nowhere near as good a cook as Ruby was, but he wasn't all too bad either. This time he was creating a sort of stew with carrots, onions, and potatoes.

What he had tasted wasn't too sweet or too bitter, it was just right. He opened the cupboard and took out the spoons and bowls. The wooden floor cried when he took a few steps over to the table. Gently, he lifted the turquoise vase of golden sunflowers and placed it on the floor. He set up the table, three spoons, three bowls, and three napkins all were sitting in their respectable places. He plopped himself down in his chair and waited patiently for the women to come home until he ate his share of the stew.

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Jack's belly rumbled on the way home from the New Year's festival. He knew he should have picked up some of those free crackers they were kindly offering! Though, he had eaten the strange mushroom earlier that day, but it wasn't too appetizing in Jack's mind…Slipping the rucksack off his back, he mumbled, "What to eat, what to eat" as he shuffled through the items. The only thing that actually looked somewhat edible was that root thing he had picked up near his farm. He couldn't imagine himself eating a mugwort, he missed the juicy steak that melted in one's mouth back in the city. Then he realized, his poor cow was steak! He suddenly felt disgusted by himself for thinking about steak.

There was nothing else he could eat. He swallowed harshly as he raised the mugwort up. When he took the smallest bite he could, bitterness exploded in his mouth. He spit out the green leaf and almost gagged at the taste that lingered in his mouth. His stomach grumbled seemingly on cue and Jack let out another one of his defeated sighs. "I'm sorry, mouth. You're going to have to suffer for now." He pinched his nose and began eating the terrible plant. 'Tomorrow I have to go and buy some seeds from Celia and then I'll be able to eat real food.'

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"What's for dinner tonight, Marlin?" Celia asked after she came through the door. She had just come home from the party that she was at for at least two hours. It was the longest time she spent at a New Year's festival. Vesta, however, had come home an hour earlier and was already sitting, waiting for Celia. Celia skipped to her chair, smoothed her skirts, and sat down gracefully.

"I made some stew. I hope you think it's alright." He uttered as he was carrying the hot pot over to the table. He grabbed the last seat after the pot was on the table. Vesta served herself first and then Celia made a move to open the pot until Marlin stopped her. "Here." He took her bowl and spooned the contents of the pot into it. Once full, he gave it back to Celia and watched for her reaction to the stew.

"Hmm…It's good, but maybe a bit too bitter." She said after her first taste. The slight bitter taste didn't stop her from eating the rest of the stew.

"So did you do anything new today, Celia?" Vesta asked as she took a break from eating the stew. Marlin continued to drain the bowl silently. To him, he figured the bitter taste was normal to him.

"Oh, everything was pretty much the same. Jack became a customer today and he was at the festival too." Marlin's eyebrows slithered up his forehead.

"So…" Vesta cooed, leaning closer to Celia with the help of her elbow.

"What, Vesta?" Celia did not catch the drift.

"So how is he like?"

"Actually, he does seem nice and he is funny." She answered rather cheerfully. 'Not again…' Marlin moaned inwardly. He hadn't touched the stew since the mention of Jack.

"See? I told you. You simply need to give a person a chance."

'And risk your heart…'

"Yeah, you're right!"

He had enough of this and rose to his feet. The chairs legs screeched across the floor. Silence washed over as he took his bowl over to the sink. "I'll go check on the crops." He said in a monotone voice and made sure he didn't close the door too gently.

"What was that?" Celia asked softly.

"Oh, you know how Marlin is. We were boring him with our girly talk." Vesta answered, her harsh voice then disappeared and melted into laughter.

However, no laughter came out of Celia.

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Marlin stared down into the river and his reflection stared back hauntingly. That was all that he was now; a reflection of the man he had once been. He forced himself to look away from that pitiful man and to Jack's farm. "Don't hurt her…" Though, he did not seem to know whom he directed that phrase to. He had said it unexpectedly. He shook his head and then looked up at the starry night sky. "Another year…"

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When everyone finished the stew, Vesta had left to do some last minute business and Celia took to cleaning up. She grabbed the dirty bowls and spoons. She looked down into the deep sink and noticed that Marlin's bowl of stew was over half-way full…

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She stared up at her ceiling and recalled her day. Jack filled her memories with his talk of the city. His appearance…he was certainly not ugly. "I guess he is nice…and handsome…" She muttered aloud and closed her eyes awaiting deserved slumber.


	7. Farming Begins

**Chapter 7: Spring 2 – Farming Begins**

The sunlight climbed through the small cracks of the wooden window and leaped onto Marlin's drawn-tight face. He emitted a harsh groan as he fought off the remaining slumber. He positioned himself so he sat on the edge of his bed. Through his messy dark curls, he saw his sister's body heave and relax with each sleeping breath in the bed next to his. He pushed himself off the bed and put on his clothes; making sure those unruly raven curls would get back into place. With a startling snore, Vesta sprang to her senses and began to go about the normal morning routine. Celia was getting ready up in the loft. After breakfast, they took care of the crops as usual and Marlin left to head to the waterfall.

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Jack was scurrying around early that morning. When he first woke up he checked the weather station, surprised that that TV even worked. He was unsure how well he could trust a fisherman as a weatherman. Then he gazed at the little green calendar that was placed on the wall. It was Spring 2 and under it read "Van." What was this "Van?"

He left his cozy cabin and the silence of the cool morning was broken by barks. Two tan-colored dogs with a red bandana tied around each of their necks ran up to Jack and pawed at his legs. One had a more plump body with short legs and long ears that rested on the side of its head and the other had a slimmer body with longer legs and pointy ears. Both had alert eyes and a white face. Jack leaned over to pet them affectionately. "You doing well, Roscoe and Clara?" He asked as he scratched their ears. Standing back up, he took two mugworts out of his rucksack and placed them into the red doggy dish that was next to his feet. The dogs left his side and ate their food, their tails wagging back and forth.

He took care of the cow reasonably fast. He hand fed her some fodder and then led her outside into the "pasture" to get some fresh air. The fertilized grass did not seem to be any taller, but Jack knew that things took time to grow. He glanced over to the empty garden patches. They needed some green to liven them up. He hopped over the fence and took off onto the cobblestone path.

The foreign sights and smells of the valley bothered him as his feet shuffled over the little bridge. It was entirely different from the city. The fresh air flowed in and out of him continuously while running on the ground – not concrete. He rounded the corner and passed through the path between the two brown buildings. Celia stood looking onto the plants, lost in her own world.

"Good afternoon, Celia."

"Oh, hello, Jack." She turned around to greet him tenderly. Her gray eyes locked timidly onto his.

"Could I get some plants to grow? I'm not quite sure what is able to grow in the spring, so I'd appreciate any information."

"You can grow tomatoes and watermelons this time of year. Tomatoes sell at 30 G per bag and watermelons at 60 G per bag. What would you like?" She couldn't help smiling when he reached into his pocket to count what little money he did have.

"Uh, five bags of each, please."

"Alright," She paused to calculate the total price, "that will be 450 G. Wait here, I'll go get them." She went inside one of the greenhouses and soon came out with all the bags of seeds. Jack handed her the money promptly.

"Thank you very much, Celia." He said, very much like a gentleman.

"No, it's me who should be thanking you. Thank you for being a customer."

Jack took the bags and took a few short steps on the path. He looked over his shoulder and asked, "What do you think of plants?"

"I think they're so lively and they return that life and energy to me." Her smile faded away and she looked down at her shuffling feet. She softly muttered, "That seems pretty silly, doesn't it?"

He stared at her for a short period of time and answered, "No, not at all. Things like that happen when you do something your passionate about." He smiled, confirming that he was telling the truth. "I have to be going now. A farmer's job is never done!" He said as he started off, leaving a waving and smiling Celia behind.

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Jack attempted to drag the heavy hoe out of the tool shack and over to a field that was close to his house. Once there, he raised the hoe up to his knees before strength could hold up no longer and the hoe fell to the earth in a giant thud. 'Harder than I thought it would be…'

He soon got used to the weight of the heavy tool and effectively plowed enough for the ten plants. He opened packet by packet and scattered the seeds around the readied area. A thin layer of dirt Jack brushed on then covered the seeds. With his bandana, he wiped the sweat off his face and admired his work. This was his job now. No more clean-cut black suits and the nightmare of traffic. He felt passionate about his job already. He blamed it on his genetics.

Then there was another passion…

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His brown boots clicked on the old path. Birds now chirped and fluttered around in the free air above him. The farther he went on the path, the closer he got to the music. Romana's villa was quite the sight to see. It was certainly the biggest building in the valley and the finest. Once one passed the black, iron gates, they were immersed in the beauty of the flowers and the highlight of this small garden was the fountain. Sebastian, the butler, managed all of it. It was so artfully designed and arranged that Jack became slightly jealous of the old man. But the sound of the piano was what really made the place seem so peaceful and delicate.

Jack knocked on the perfectly carved doors. The music stopped and the door opened to reveal the fair Lumina. With a small, young voice she asked, "Would you like to come in?"

"Yes, thank you." Jack answered. Lumina opened the door wider so Jack would be able to enter. "I just came here to praise you for your great talent when it comes to playing the piano."

Lumina looked up at him while her cheeks hot up in a blush. "Oh, thank you, but I still have much to work on." She said modestly, staring down at her feet.

"VAN'S SHOP IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS!" A rumbling shout ruptured the peaceful afternoon. Jack immediately looked away from Lumina to find the cause of such a noise.

"What was that…?" Jack mumbled as he searched around inside the mansion.

"That's just Van. He's a traveling merchant and comes here sometimes. He might have some items that you could be interested in. You should probably go check his shop out now. He only stays here for a few hours before setting off again."

Jack took Lumina's advice and dashed off to Van's stand after they said their goodbyes. Soon enough he stood face to face with a rather large mustached man, dressed rather elegantly with a white ruffle shirt that rested outside the low collar of a fresh pressed red shirt. His black hair was pulled back into a small ponytail that dangled from the place where the back of his head ended to the beginning of his neck (the two which were hard to tell apart). His wares were scattered around in a small crate next to him.

"Ah, I have something just for you." The voice rumbled from the round, plump chest. Seconds later, he pulled out a brush and a fishing pole from the crate. Jack's eyes sparkled in delight at the tools before him. Van read his eyes in an instant and said each of the desired tool's prices.

"500G each?" Jack was uncomfortably tight on money and 1,000G was more than half of what he had. He never haggled before, but he figured he could give it a try. "I'll pay 700G for both the brush and the fishing pole."

Van's eyes turned dark as he exclaimed, "That price is way too low! You'd only pay 350G for one of them alone! If you want a lower price you must accept 930G."

"If you want any of my money at all you'll accept 850G." Hopefully, he didn't upset Van…

"Fine, fine. 870G is my final offer."

"Deal." Jack said as he reached out to shake hands with Van. "By the way, I've heard you're Van. My name is Jack and I'm taking over that farm just over that hill." He stopped to point to the general direction of his new home. Then he gathered up 870G from one of his pockets and handed it over to the merchant.

"It's good to have a customer haggle with me, but don't expect me to let you get off with a cheap price often. I need to make a living as well." His mustache danced around the top of his upper lip as he talked with the farmer. He gave Jack the brush and the fishing pole with a smile. "Now I'll have to find some good items a person like yourself might want. I'll be back Spring 8th. Until then, I hope you do exceedingly well at farming, Jack."

"And I hope you have an easy trip getting home."

--------------------

"Not again!" Jack shouted as the line twisted around the top of the rod. He was a terrible caster. Every time the line would get stuck around the tip of the pole and Jack would have to sit down and try to entangle it.

"Having trouble, boy?" Galen, one of the old men in town, wandered up to Jack who sat on one of the benches near the river. He grabbed the pole from Jack's hands and sat down next to him. "The trick is," Galen reached into his pocket and pulled out something that looked a lot like a plain rock, "with this type of rod you should have a weight when you fish in the river because the fish are on the bottom. As for casting," He stood up and walked over to the edge, "gently flick the rod just enough to make it land where you want it to."

Jack looked on in amazement as Galen landed a beautiful fish. The huge fish flopped around the grass, gasping for breath. "That is a big Sharshark. I'll let you keep it. Be careful with it, it's worth quite a lot." Galen explained as he handed the pole back to Jack. He began to limp back to his home, back to Nina. Something about old age love is so very endearing and classic. Jack wished then and there he would have a love like that.

-------------------

Marlin huddled over onto the counter as he waited for his drink. He had snuggled up close to the wall, away from the other customers, Kassey and Gustafa. He had seen the way Kassey handled – or could not handle – his alcohol and watched his futile attempts at wooing over the local barmaid, Muffy. She was behind the counter now, washing the goblets and placing them back into place.

"One Blue Punch." The owner said through his gruff voice. Griffin placed the cup on the counter in front of Marlin and took the money he set out in one fell swoop.

Marlin always remained sober through two or three hits of Blue Punch. He knew his limits, but that didn't mean he didn't test them once in a while. Taking the cup in his hand, he sipped the drink away.

Kassey and Gustafa eventually left, as Marlin remained while working on finishing his drink. He couldn't help it, but noticed the way Muffy stared down into a cup she was holding for a rather long and daunting time. Her boss saw this as well and asked her what was wrong. Her emerald eyes lifted up to his as she spoke, "I have a lot on my mind. I mean, that new farmer, Jack, he could be it."

Jack…The name flared in Marlin's mind and quickly disappeared as he drank what was left.

Griffin just sighed as he looked down upon the broken woman. Men had hurt her, but she kept trying to get their love and affection. She always came back, battered and wounded as if she had gone through a battle. Each time Griffin had to piece her back together again. He hoped it wouldn't be the same when it came to Jack…

He wanted Muffy to be happy.


	8. A Rose Among Weeds

I'm terribly sorry for the delay, folks. I've been completely up to my head in assignments and track practice. I also had to make some major changes to this chapter. Most of the characters went in for surgery and I'm happy to say that Jack is slowly being weened off his daily 50 mg of Mary Sue. Thank God. "New" (no, not OCs) characters get their first chance at the spotlight while others take a cozy backseat... 

**Chapter 8: Spring 3 - A Rose Among Weeds**

She would always wake up on her own. Her nights were fitful and terribly short, and the covers of her bed were messy and out of place. She was still tired, and it showed under her azure eyes. A dark ring shadowed the bottom of her weary eyes. She didn't bother to make her bed and changed into more suitable attire. She ran a lazy hand through her red hair and took off.

It was a little after six and her uncovered arms quickly developed Goosebumps under the tiny rays of the sun. She walked on the path with no destination; she went wherever her feet took her. That, she figured, was how she ended up in the valley in the first place.

Her feet lead her to the mansion's garden. They would take her there often in the morning. She considered it to be quite a peaceful place, though she really didn't take an interest in the flowers. She placed a hand on her hip draped over by khaki shorts that hit right above her knee. It was not particularly flattering, and she liked it that way; she wouldn't stand out. She gazed up at the sky past her crimson locks. It was completely clear meaning she wouldn't have to be constrained to the quarters of her room.

And all at once the peace shattered. "Nami!" The voice called out.

She broke the gaze from the sky to look at the caller. She immediately sighed for it was that annoying farmer. "What do you want?" She replied with that indifferent, icy tone of hers.

The tone did not seem to faze the man at all as he continued to have a broad smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye. "I just don't think I've properly introduced myself to you yet. I'm Jack, the new farmer. It's a pleasure meeting you." He held out his hand, signaling for Nami to take it.

Nami simply crossed her arms as she stared down at his hand. She shifted her eyes back to Jack and scuffed. "The pleasure is all yours." She walked past him again like the first time they "met." Fortunately she did not look back to see the awful stain of a scowl.

She continued on, this time she found herself walking towards the beach.

-------------------

Lumina sat on the padded chair and placed her hands on the keys. It was a stereotypical classical piece, it bored her immensely, but it was in no way easy to play. She played much slower than the piece intended, and without any emotion. This was the training she had to go through. She wondered what it would be like under different circumstances…

With each incorrect note, she became more and more discouraged. She did not wish to imagine the angry face of Romana that she had been seeing a lot lately. Playing the piano was not fun anymore now that the training was becoming more intense. Most of the time her grandmother would watch her and criticize her. She missed praise and surprised that _he_ gave her some.

She was sixteen now, but had the body of a ten year old. Sebastian called her a "late bloomer" and compared her to one of the beautiful flowers. She hoped time would speed up just enough to show some of her pretty petals.

The creaking of the door pulled her attention away from playing. "Sorry for the intrusion, but I heard you playing. Are you OK?" It was _he_. His brown eyes shimmered at her as he looked down.

"No, it's OK. I don't mind visitors and I'm fine, sir." She answered as she placed her arms delicately into her lap. She slapped a smile on her face in an attempt to convince him.

"Are you sure? I mean, you are playing much differently from yesterday…I'm a little worried is all." Jack's voice was kind and caring. He was genuine, unlike Rock who seemed to pay attention to her half the time.

She couldn't help staring into the pools of his eyes. How could someone be so friendly with a complete stranger? "It's no fun anymore!" She blurted out harshly. A hand flung to her mouth and slowly slid down as she said, "Please, excuse me for that outburst…" Her amber eyes drifted down into her lap.

Much to her surprise, he leaned down on a knee and looked at her face. "Why?" He uttered. The pose was that of kind-hearted submission, much like the one Lumina imagined being when one proposed.

She needed to get it off her chest and for some reason she felt completely comfortable around this stranger. After all he was just a _stranger_ and she was but a _child_, naive to the inevitable consequences. "Auntie Romana's training is the least enjoyable. I'm afraid of hitting the wrong notes and messing up. All she does now is tell me my faults and never gives me one word of encouragement." It did not come out nearly as good as she thought it would. She became aware of how much it was a pout and how her frown deepened.

"Don't worry about stuff like that. The only way you can get better is if you have fun with it. If it becomes a chore, you'll never want to even play at all. Relax, and don't take your grandmother too seriously. If you truly have a problem with her you should tell her about it instead of going on like this." His smile beamed at her. His advice seemed to stun her. "After all, I still believe you're a wonderful pianist." It was such a casual statement that it made Lumina feel comfortable, but she couldn't help but wonder if the words were backed up with any feeling.

But she ignored the tone and focused on his words as she muttered, "Th-thank you, Jack." Her eyes met his once more. She awkwardly shifted in her seat and turned red under Jack's spotlight. "Now, Auntie Romana will get _furious _if she catches me not practicing. At least playing incorrectly is better than not playing at all." She giggled nervously, the tomato color not fading away.

He stared at her with a serious look etched on his face. "Please, Lumina, if you have any more problems don't be afraid to tell me or anyone else. It's better to let things out once in a while." He stood up and his previous looked quickly dissolved, replaced with a grin. "I'll see you around, Lumina."

"I'll see you, too." She hoped, she wished, she pleaded. "Come back anytime."

She didn't want him to be a _stranger_ anymore.

--------------------

Her heels clicked on the cobblestone path that led up to the farm. The gorgeous blonde curls waved softly in the wind as she knocked on the cabin's door softly. No response. She strolled away from the house and looked onto the pasture. She didn't like animals at all, they were too unpredictable and they required too much attention that she was not willing or able to give. She wondered why Jack became a farmer. He was from the city; he probably made a good living. She would never have given up the city if she had the choice!

Was this a new beginning for him as well? Was he starting a clean slate? Muffy pondered the possibilities before a hand startled her on her shoulder. She took in a sharp breath and spun around, hitting whatever it was with her outstretched arm. The adrenaline still rushed through her body as she focused on the figure.

He had fallen down from the force. The dilation of his eyes revealed that he was just as shocked as Muffy was. Muffy gasped at the sight and immediately bent down to help him up. "Oh, Jack! I'm so sorry!" By bending down, her short dress revealed even more of her cleavage and Jack blushed while trying to pry his eyes away from her. Muffy would have sighed out of disappointment on the spot if he had not been so dashingly adorable.

She reached a tender hand out to him and he took it gladly. They both rose to their full height and calmed themselves down. Suddenly Roscoe and Clara came sprinting at Muffy, barking and baring their razor sharp teeth. Muffy backed up against the pasture's fence and gripped the top of it so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Jack twirled around and edged up tightly against Muffy to protect her while he shouted at the dogs. They stopped at his feet and both growled angrily.

"No! Get outta here! Scram!" He yelled, still leaning on Muffy. Now she was clutching the rucksack that hung from his back. Jack then swat at the dogs to scare them away. This finally got them to walk away.

"Now I guess I should be the one apologizing." He chuckled as he turned back around. His laughter ended as he spied a trembling woman. "Are you OK?"

"Y-yes, I'm fine." She lied, fearing if she told him she didn't like animals, he wouldn't take an interest in her. She quickly hid her fear with a cheery smile. "I was just wondering how you were doing and how the farm looked so far."

"Well, as you can see, it doesn't look so great…" His trademark grin faded away and his swollen cheeks deflated hastily.

"Oh, give yourself a break, silly! It's only your second day here and I bet you've already done so much." Her smile grew wider as she batted her eyelashes. She didn't consider herself coming on too strong, about right in her opinion. Enough glamour and cheery attitude that would most certainly reel in any man.

"It still looks pretty run-down. But you are right, I guess I can cut myself some slack." His face lift-up once again and the afternoon sunshine shone on his pale skin. There was a particular warmth that radiated from that smile. His eyes were the lure that Muffy wandered into and the smile hooked her. By this time, she was sure that _she_ was the one who was being reeled in.

"Whenever you need time to relax from all the hard work, you can stop by the Blue Bar for a drink, 'kay? Don't be afraid to visit me!" She was proud of the professional edge she added. She needed to feel just as bit as smart as Nami and as kind as Celia and she nailed it.

"Yeah, I'll stop by next time. But don't visit my farm without Takakura or I. I don't want you getting hurt." His tone walked the thin line between genuine caring and irritation.

Muffy was baffled at the comment's true meaning, but she dismissed it nevertheless. "Alright, whatever you say. Bye, Jack! You take care of yourself." She left his side and walked away, exaggerating the side-to-side movement of her perfect hips. It was a habit of hers that she desperately wanted to get rid of. She wanted a man who would love her, and not her body.

-------------------------

The melody filled his ears with a sudden joy. With every note came a jolt of fondness for his little lute. At that moment nothing could possibly tear him away from this newborn happiness. It was always this way when he played.

Besides the lute Gustafa was tuned to the fine melodies and sonnets of nature. He listened to the wind hum through the leaves, its harmonica. The grass was the string instrument of nature and the percussion was the soft beat of feet. This was his life and he wouldn't give it up for anything or anyone in the world. Nothing could compare to music. Or, that's what he once thought.

Nami was inquisitive and insightful, a beautiful red rose in a handful of weeds. But he did not grab for that rose because once you break it away from the stem, it dies and withers away. He chose to never push or pry in the wrong direction. She was wild and free and he did not deserve to take that away from her. Besides, whom was he kidding? Who would be attracted to him? He considered himself a gnome, nothing short of true ugliness.

-----------------------------

"Is this where you ran off to?" The figure hastily said. It was getting dark and they were far away from the soft glow of the street lamps.

Nami immediately jumped at the voice. She was sitting down near the incoming tide of the ocean with her arms crossed resting on her upward knees. The seawater skimmed the bottoms of her purple boots and fell back quietly. She took a closer look and her vision revealed it to be the dark, abstract artist, Cody. She sighed with relief.

"I suppose you could say that, but I've been all over the valley today. It was a pretty nice day." The moon peeked above one of the rocky masses in front of them. The moonlight drew white lines across the dark see, shimmering like tiny crystals. This was nature's canvass and the sun and the moon its paints.

"Everyday holds a certain beauty despite the weather or how we might feel." He crossed his brawny arms and planted his feet firmly in the sand.

"That's what you do, right? I mean, you try and find that beauty and make it into art." She gazed up and caught a glance at his striking blonde Mohawk.

"Yes," His low voice disrupted the night silence, like the ripples in the tide. "That is what I try to do, but it is difficult to find what it is I am looking for and then to create a replica with my own style. I am afraid that I haven't found anything worth creating and I'm starting to give up on myself. I need to get inspired somehow."

"Well, you did say that everyday has beauty so maybe everyday people possess a piece of that beauty and nature holds the rest." Nami placed her chin on her crossed arms and stared out into the ocean. She's been around the world, place to place, coming and going as she pleased. But this valley has been the hardest place to let go. There was something about it, perhaps the people or the atmosphere that wrapped around her preventing her escape. As time went on, this bind did loosen. Now she was torn.

Cody pondered the question for a furtive moment or two and answered in almost a whisper, "There is a beauty in all humans, yes. But sometimes it is hard to find it because we don't know where to look. We break and tear at them mercilessly. We search and search and get frustrated to the point that we may toss the person away. No piece of art is worth more than a piece of someone's heart."

"But isn't it true that a person can be salvaged, like scrap metal, and turned into something better than they were before?"

He took a sharp downwards glance at her with his intense eyes reflecting the earth's painting. "Yes, I do believe that someone can fix us."

Involuntarily she mouthed, "I hope so." As soon as those words appeared like the tide to their feet, they fell back into the ocean of silence.

AN: Yes, I know this chapter was a bit.. too much of the girls. But I figure it's a lot like A Wonderful Life when you are impaled with all those one heart events on the first few days. And I bet you thought it was Jack near the end, didn't you? Cody is a wicked character and should have had more attention in the games he was in. I love his and Nami's friendship, so expect a little more of that in the future. I brought in good ol' Gustafa. He'll make a couple of appearances here and there. I think I'm making Lumina sound to proper. I need to work on that. Muffy's alright for now. When will I take Celia and Marlin off the backseat? I'm not sure of that myself, but expect Celia popping up again before he does. My mindless rambling is done. I'll try my best to get the next chapter up in a maximum of a week in a half. 


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